Speed wrench



Sept. 9, 1952 F. l.. FULKE 2,609,718

SPEED WRENCH Filed Aug. 2 1950 JNVENToR.

Patented Sept. 9, .1952

" OFFICE y SPEED WRENCH Frank L. Fulke, Terre Haute, Ind. Application August 2, 1950, Serial No. 177,210

1 11 Claims.

Myinvention relatesV toisocket wrenches and particularly to speed wrenches of a type permitting rapid turning of a nut without removing the socket from the nut.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a speedyV wrench that will not have any triggers or latches requiring thoughtful preliminary adjustment each time it is desired to change the direction of pull on the wrench, whether to screw in orunscrew the nut. u l

` A furtherobjectis to provide for giving a powerful pull on the wrench, in either direction,

merely by a short preliminary forward jab of the handle.

A further object is to provide for giving a powerful pull on the wrench, in either direction, by merely a preliminary twist of the handle under such circumstances as would make this preferable to a forward jab of the handle.

A further object is to provide for quickly meshing a pair of serratedl surfaces which serve as a positive clutch, that cannot slip except by directly shearing a very substantial mass of hardened alloy steel, requiring many tons of pressure.

A further object is to provide for convenient, accurate, and very economical manufacture of my wrench.

A further object is to provide for each part of the wrench to be so strong thatit will be impossible to apply, by human strength, sufficient `stress to cause damage, without making the wrench heavy, bulky, or cumbersome to handle.

A further object is to provide simple and positive means to adjust the elements of the wrench for exactly correct mutual cooperation.

A further object is to reduce the lost motion of wrench required to engage its clutch-in other words reduce the usual 10`to 15 degreesof pivotal movement necessary with conventional ratchet wrenches before the wrench starts pulling.

These and other objectives may readily become apparent from the following description and reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench,

Fig. 2 is a view of the forward end of the wrench handle,

Fig. 3 is a magnified fragmentary view of a portion of` Fig. 1, I

Fig. 4 is a cross section of Fig. Bitaken on line `In 1fig. 1 it will be noted that any desired size of detachable socket I may be propelled by a square driving lug 2 `projectingfronfi a disc-like structure 3` which has a central stem or shaft 4 Cil A hardened disc 9 has a conically beveled inner surface S, a fiat inner surface I'I, and a notch 5 in its outer surface adjacent its central threaded bore. Disc 9 is threadedly adjusted on shaft d and then locked non-rotatively thereto.

A block 'I is bored at I D for swiveling upon shaft el, and right angle to bore IU there is a bore II `taking into the boreIIl.

A handle I2, preferably knurled is movably supported in bore II, and it may rotate therein, or it maybe thrust axially therein.

A surface 8 ofl block T which faces toward socket I is serrated similarly to serrated surface 22, and a compression spring I3 lying in a recess 24 constantly urgesthesef two serrated surfaces to remain apart, so block 'I may swivel on shaft 4.

The handle I2 is round, and at its inner end is flattened as at I4, andV is further andmore deeply flatted at I8, and is peripherally grooved at 2li.`

A wide flat spring I9 secured to block 'I' by a screw 2l bears against flat surface I8 and provides central rotative biasfor handle 12 how- Y ever if the `handle is turned considerably the spring I9 will ride into groove 2t, whereby it will vbe noted that the rearward axial movement of handle I2 is at all times limited by" spring I9 so that the handle cannot dislodge from its bore II. Forward axial movement ofhandle I2 is limited by the abutment of its forward end against a side of shaft 4.

If handle I2 is pushed forward, the edge i5 of flattened surface III willslip along theconically beveled surface 6 of disc 9, and thereby force block I to move toward socket I, contrary to the urge of spring I3", until'atted surface` I4 of the handle I2 rides onto `the iiatted surface I1 of disc 9, at lwhich time the `soclntward movement of block l ceases. At this time Ythe two serrated surfaces `Si and 22 willhave just completely meshed, so that a Vpowerful pullmay then be given ,handle I2 to rotate the socket i in either `direction desired. `As soon as this `pull is completed `handle l2 is jerked backward, `whereupon spring |33 will disengage the `serrated `surfaces so that block 'I may swivel upon shaft i while the handle is movedto either the-right or the left to obtain another hitch. `It :will be noted that when the fiat surfaces `IIl and `I1 are abutting, they are in a purely compressive relation, whereby any loosening or slippage 4of the meshed serratedsurfaoes, `by reason `of thrust resulting from angularity of the individual serra- Ations, is completely blocked, regardless of any human force that can be exerted upon handle I2 to turn socket l.

The disc 9 is threadedly adjustedso that axial movement of handle I2 is barely possible when the serrated surfaces are completely meshed, then the disc 9 is locked by meshing thread at the end of shaft 4 over into notch 5 of disc d.

The serrations 22 and 8 may optionally be meshed, and locked in mesh, by rotative movement of handle I2. By reason of the bias of spring I9, the middle point at Ythe edge I5 of fiatted surface I4 indicated by arrow 2t normally is in engagement with the conical surface (i, however if handle I2 is rotated about one-sixth be crowded toward the socket I until the serrated tively movable, in the direction of said stem axis, into and out of cooperative relation, a handle movably carried by said block and projecting substantially radially relative to said stem axis, and cam means on said handle and on said stern, said cam means cooperating, upon adjustment of said'handle relative to said block, to effect relative axial movement of said interengageable means.

2. In a device of the class described, a stem, a block mounted for rotation about the axis of said stem, interengageable means xed relative to Y said stem and to said block, respectively, and relasurfaces 22 and 8 are meshed, it being understood that the coacting surfaces, and particularly atted surface I4 are sized to accomplish this. Since axial retraction of the handle is blocked by spring I 9 in groove 2i), it will be seen that a compressive relation exists to lock the serrations in mesh when surface E of disc 9 contacts the point indicated by arrow I6.

In the operation of my wrench, socket I is placed over the nut to be turned and with the handle held rather loosely a quick forward jab (or a twist) meshes the serrations solidly together, ready for as hard a pull upon the handle as desired, in either direction desired, and at the completion of this pull the handle is jerked backward (or twisted) so that the handle may swivel on shaft 4 without turning the socket I for obtaining another hitch to repeat the pull.

I have contrived my Wrench particularly for heavy duty work, Where ordinary types such as pawl-and-ratchet have not the strength to stand all the stress a man can exert at the end of a long handled wrench, such as with set screws in coal cutting chains, or cap screws securing heavy truck wheels. The stress necessary to shear off all the serrations of hardened steel may be calculated in tons of pressure, far beyond mans strength.

There are no triggers or latches requiring care-- ful preliminary settings or adjustments for changing the direction of the working pullon the wrench. There is no danger of breaking or distorting any of the parts which are few in number and very economical to manufacture. The disc 9 is case-hardened, and the corner I5 of flatted handle surface I4 is preferably an overlay of Stellite or boron hard metal, ground to size. These are the principal points of wear, however the wear is distributed evenly upon the inner surfaces of disc 9, not concentrated.` The driving element 3 with its stem 4 is preferably an upset forging, while block 'I is a drop forging, and the identical serrations 22 and 8 may be coined upon these forgings by a single coining die.

Since the identical serrations on my two clutch elements may be quite small and therefore of a very large number as, for example 90 serrations upon each, the pivotal movement of the wrench that is lost before the clutch engages is extremely small, as compared with a ratchet wrench loss of about degrees, therefore it will be preferable lfor operation in very limited space.

I claim:

l. In a device of the class described, a stem, a block mounted for rotation about the axisof said stem, interengageable means fixed relative to said stem and to said block, respectively, and relatively movable, in the direction of said stem axis,

into and out of cooperative relation, a handle carried by said block and projecting substantially radially relative to said stem axis, said handle being reciprocable relative to said block toward and away from said stem axis, a cam elementk carried by said stem, and means moving with said handle and cooperating with said camv element, as said handle moves toward said stem axis,

tov effect relative axial movement of said interengageable means 3. In a device of the class described,V a stem, a block mounted for rotation about the axis of said stem, interengageable means xed relative to said Vstern and to said block, respectively,.and relatively movable, in the direction of saidrstem axis, into and out of cooperative relation, a handle carried by said block and projecting Usubstantially radially relative to said stern axis, said handle being oscillable about its Vown axi^s,^relative to said block, an abutment element carried'by said stem, and .cam means moving withsaid handle and cooperating with said abutment element, upon oscillatory movement of said handle, to effect relative axial movement of said interengageable means. Y y I ll. In a device of the class described, a stem, a block mounted for rotation about the axis of said stern, said stem and said block beingrelatively axially movable, a clutch element fixed relative to said stem, a clutch element fixedrelative to said block, spring means resiliently urging separaf tion of said clutch elements, a handle movably carried by said block and projecting substantially radially relative to said stem axis, and cam means on said stem and on said handle, respectively, said cam means cooperating, upon adjustment of said handle relative to said blockfto force said clutch elements, against the tendency of said spring means, into driving engagement.

5. In a device of theclass described, a stem, a block mounted for rotation .about the axis of said stem, said stem and said blockV beingrrelatively axially movable, a clutch elementfixed relative to said stem, a clutch element fixed relative to said block, spring means resiliently urging separation yof said clutch element-sfa handle carried by said block for reciprocation relative to said block toward Iand away from said stem axis, a cam element'fixedto said stem and.` having a coned face presented toward said stemclutch element, said block and handlebeing interposed between said cam element and said stem clutch elem-ent, and means moving withY said handle and engageable with said cam element,"v upon movement of said handle toward said stem axis, to -force said clutch elements, :against the tendency of said spring means, inlto driving engagement. Y 6. The device of claimt inwhichl said cam Y element is provided, furtherwi=t=h a holding surwith said handle being engageable with said holding surface, at the limit of its movement toward said stem axis. l

'7. In a device of the class described, a stem, a block mounted for rotation about ,the axis of said stem, said stem and said block being relativ-ely axially movable, a clultch element xed relative to said stem, a clutch element fixed relative to said block, spring means resiliently urging separ-ation of said clutch ele-ments, a handle carried by said block for oscillation about its own axis relative to said block .and projecting substantially radially relative to said stem axis, :and an abutment member carried by said stem, said handle being provided with a cam surface eccentric to said handle axis and engageable with said :abutment member, upon oscillatory movement of said handle, to force said clutch elements against the tendency of said spring mean-s, into driving engagement.

8. In Ia device of the class described, a stem, a block mounted for rotation about the axis of said stem, said stem and said block being relatively axially movable, .a clutch element xed relative to said stem, a clutch element fixed relative to said block, spring means resiliently urging separation of said clutch elements, a handle carried by said block for reciprocation an-d oscillation relative to said block upon its own axis, said handle projecting substantially radially relative to said stern, a coned abutment member coaxially carried by said stem, said block and said handle being interposed lbetween saidl stem clutch element and said abutment member, .and cam means moving with said handle `and coo-perating with said abutment member, upon oscillatory movement of said handle or reciprocatory movement thereof toward said stem axis, to force said clutch elements, against the tendency of said spring means, into .driving engagement.

9. The device of claim 8 in which said handle is formed with a longitudinally-extending notch bounded by shoulders at its opposite ends, and a finger xed to said bloc-k, extending into said notch and cooperating with said shoulders to limit reciprocatory movement of said handle relative to said block.

v10. The device of claim 9 in which said handle is further formed with a peripheral groove adjacentsaid cam means, said nger being engageable 4in said groove, at times upon rotational movement of said handle, to restrain said handle Iagainst reciprocation.

11. The vdevice of claim 8 in which said handle is formed with a peripheral groove adjacent said cam means, `and a nger fixed to said block with its free end in `registry with said groove, said nger being engageable in sai-d groove, at times upon rotational movement of said handle, to restrain said handle against reciproca/tion.

yFRANK L. FULKE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS i Number Name Date 1,106,545 Camus Aug. ll, 1914 2,393,413 Rober Jan. 22, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number y Country Date 469,304 France May 16, 1914 `512,138 France Olot. '7, 1920 v577,159 France May 30, 1924 567,933 Great Britain Mar. 8, 1945 

